The Four Heavenly Kings and the Four Generals of the Mo Family (the Four Brothers of the Demon Family) are two different concepts, but they both have important places in Chinese culture and religious traditions. The Four Heavenly Kings usually refer to the four ** gods in Buddhism, who guard the four directions of Buddhism, and each Heavenly King has its own unique symbols and attributes.
They are:1The king of the Oriental Holding Country, holding the pipa, represents compassion and guards the Oriental world. 2.The king of southern growth, holding a sword, represents growth and guards the southern world. 3.The Western Wide-eyed Heavenly King, with a dragon or snake wrapped around his hands, represents observation and protection of the Western world. 4.The king of the north is the king of the heavens, holding a treasure umbrella, representing the many smells and guarding the northern world. These four heavenly kings are often seen in Buddhist temples and are usually located on either side of the temple's mountain gates, symbolizing that they are guarding the teachings and practitioners of Buddhism. And the four generals of the Mo family, also known as the four brothers of the demon family, are fictional characters in the ** "Romance of the Gods". Originally generals of the Shang Dynasty, they were later named the Four Heavenly Kings in the story, each possessing special magic weapons and taking on the responsibility of protecting the country and regulating the forces of nature. The image of the four generals of the demon family is integrated with the four heavenly kings of Buddhism, but their backgrounds and stories are ** creations. To sum up, the four heavenly kings are the first gods in Buddhism, and the four Mojia generals are the characters in the "Romance of the Gods", and the two have different meanings and roles in cultural and religious traditions.